Editor's Note

The Charge

"I choose not to choose life."

The Case

Renton (Ewan McGregor, The Ghost
Writer) is addicted to heroin. So are his pals Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller,
Dexter) and Spud (Ewen
Bremner, Fool's Gold). They spend
most of their days getting high, finding ways to support their habit and hanging
out with their buds Tommy (Kevin McKidd, Rome) and Begbie (Robert Carlyle, Stargate Universe).

Things can't stay happy go lucky for long and Renton finds himself trying to
get rid of the habit and "choose life." But his friends and some poor
choices keep forcing him back to heroin. How far will Renton go to escape from
his addiction and will it be worth the effort when he does?

Trainspotting is a visually dynamic film filled with humor, horror
and tons of quotable lines. It boosted so many careers for the cast, not to
mention director Danny Boyle (Slumdog
Millionaire), that watching it now is like seeing a who's who of british
acting talent.

I was actually a bit afraid to revisit the film. I hadn't seen it in almost
a decade and I was afraid that, like a lot of my favorite films from the '90s,
it was going to end up looking like a relic of its time. And yeah, some of it is
a bit dated, mostly the clothes and some of the music. But the core story, the
characters and Boyle's innovative approach to the material makes it all
click.

It's great to watch Ewan McGregor in full force here. After seeing him in
the Star Wars prequels I kinda forget how great he can really be. As
Renton he nails the part, giving us a character that is both approachable and
repugnant at the same time. He's a directionless slacker, but he's not an idiot.
You can see his desire to break away from heroin and the life its made for him.
At the same time you feel his loathing for the rest of a society that seems
hellbent on keeping his in line. Its an angst filled performance that still
keeps a lot of charm and appeal in it. It's a very difficult part, and McGregor
makes it look easy.

As down and depressing as this story could be, Boyle and writers Irvine
Welsh and John Hodge keep a lot of humor in the movie. It's got some great lines
and if you can keep up with the rapid fire dialogue and thick Scottish accents
you'll find yourself laughing at even the darkest moments.

It's Boyle's construction and execution of the film that makes
Trainspotting an excellent representation of '90s cinema. For his second
feature film, it's truly amazing that he was able to tackle such a complicated
subject and tell it with an amazing dose of style and flair. Sure it gets a
little too flashy for some folks, but in how many films you do you get to see a
grown man plunge into the filthiest toilet in Scotland?

Lionsgate's Blu-ray presentation is top notch. The visuals look great. The
1080p shows off the vivid colors and detail of the film while keeping the blacks
nice and solid. The soundtrack, containing a mixture of Iggy Pop, Blondie and
'90s era techo, is balanced perfectly. The dialogue is nice and clear when it
needs to be, and is appropriately overpowered by the music in the club scenes
(handy subtitles appear during these). Lionsgate grabbed all the extras from
their "Collector's Series" version of the film that came out in 2004
and ported them over to this Blu-ray, so you aren't losing anything in the
upgrade. You also get a digital copy, so you can watch the film on your favorite
portable device.